Why not both? Editorial asks if Zinke is cynical or incompetent after offshore drilling debacle

In what can only be described as embarrassing, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke took a note from his boss in diplomacy when he unilaterally announced via Twitter that he was removing Florida’s coastline from the administration’s newdrill from sea to shining sea policy.

In a mere two tweets, Secretary Zinke took the lid off the administration’s ‘energy dominance’ policy, was put in timeout by the White House andpissed off just abouteveryone else in the process.

Tweeting from his meeting with Florida Governor Rick Scott, who happens to be arumored candidate for a critical senate seat, that ‘local voices matter.’ Let’s not forget that hefailed to listen to the Bears Ears tribal coalition or any other coastal Governor now facing the possibility of drilling along their coastline.

Then, within minutes of the first tweet, Zinkeannounced that Florida was pardoned and would be removed from any future offshore drilling plans.

The justification was even more of a whopper, Florida’s tourism industry was too important to risk offshore drilling. He may have a point about the risk since the administration is already working tonullified rules that sought to prevent another BP Horizon oil spill, but the irony wasn’tlost on the rest of America.

Realizing the grave error made by Secretary Zinke that would essentially make the departments offshore drilling proposal fraught with legal challenges, the acting director of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) tried todownplay Zinke’s declaration. It was too late. Every state that has a vested interest in the jobs and businesses supported by tourism should request to be heard, and Zinke should listen to all of them, not just in coastal states.

This led to the Washington Post editorial board toask if Zinke was cynical or incompetent? Unfortunately, for us Montanans, we know it’s both.

If you appreciate an independent voice holding Montana politicians accountable and informing voters, and you can throw a few dollars a month our way, we would certainly appreciate it.